Hyderabad: Justice A. Ramalingeswara Rao of the Hyderabad High Court on Monday punished three IAS officers of the Telangana state in three separate contempt of court cases.
The judge felt that there were several such instances and hence there was a need to sensitise officers with regard to respecting court orders during the training at Mussorie.While allowing a contempt case against Sharath, commissioner of marketing department of TS, the judge ordered him to pay Rs 5,000 towards costs for committing a contempt of court.
The judge said he disobeyed a court order. In case he failed to pay the costs, he has to undergo seven days’ simple imprisonment. The judge found the officer wilfully disobeying a court order three months ago when he was asked to consider a representation of the vegetable commission agents welfare association in relation to allotment of shops to them in Gudimalkapur market.
In another case, the judge imposed Rs 1,116 as costs on Ranga Reddy district collector Raghunandan for failing to take steps to remove road blocks in Pocharam village of the district despite a court order. The judge ordered that if the official failed to pay the costs, he would have to undergo two days’ simple imprisonment. Similarly, the Mahbubnagar collector was also imposed Rs 1,116 as costs in a contempt case.
The judge pointed out that the court rarely ever punished the contemnors in contempt of court cases. However, it noticed a spurt in allegations of violation of court orders by officials. The judge directed the Registry to send copies of the three orders to the state Chief Secretary and also to the Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy of Administration at Mussorie to sensitise IAS officers in future.
